Delhi HC Issues Summons To HUL Over Allegedly Disparaging Sunscreen Ad

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued summons to HUL in a suit filed by Honasa Consumer Ltd., which alleged that HUL had published a disparaging advertisement targeting its sunscreen product, The Derma Co 1% Hyaluronic Sunscreen Aqua Gel SPF 50.

Honasa Consumer argued that HUL's advertisement for its Lakme Sun Expert SPF 50 sunscreen indirectly referred to The Derma Co’s product by suggesting that some online bestsellers claiming SPF 50 actually deliver only SPF 20. The court observed that HUL’s ad, “on the face of it, is disparaging,” and scheduled the case for further hearing on Thursday.

The disputed ad, published across newspapers and digital platforms, claimed that Lakme has followed in-vivo testing since 2015 and alleged that other brands with similar SPF claims were underperforming when tested. Honasa said the reference to "online bestsellers" and the depiction of packaging resembling its own made it evident that HUL was targeting The Derma Co.

Honasa, which claims a 30% market share in the sunscreen segment and annual sunscreen sales of ₹3–₹4 billion, maintained that its SPF 50 claim is backed by third-party in-vivo testing. The company accused HUL of launching a malicious, wide-scale campaign; across newspapers, hoardings, and YouTube, aimed at damaging its reputation.

The petitioner emphasised that the ad suggests users of its sunscreen could suffer sun damage, including pigmentation and skin ageing, thereby directly questioning the product’s core value: sun protection.